FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a notebook-type personal computer 10. The personal computer 10 includes a main body part 11, a lid part 12, and others. A CPU is provided inside the main body part 11. A keyboard 13, a flat pointer (touch pad) 14, and others are provided on the main body part 11. The lid part 12 is attached to the main body part 11 so as to be opened from and closed against the main body part 11. A liquid crystal display 15 and others are provided attached to the lid part 12.
A card slot 16 is provided in the personal computer 10 so that functions of the personal computer 10 can be expanded. More specifically, an IC card is provided in the card slot 16 so that designated functions of the personal computer 10 can be expanded.
A board (not illustrated in FIG. 1) is provided inside the personal computer 10. A card connector is provided on the board so that the IC card 18 can be attached to or detached from the personal computer 10. The card connector includes a connector and an eject mechanism. The IC card 18 when attached is electrically connected to the connector. The eject mechanism is configured to eject the IC card 18 having been installed and attached.
Next, operations of a general eject mechanism are discussed with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2(A) illustrates a partially-inserted state just after the IC card 18 is inserted in the card slot 16. As illustrated in FIG. 2(A), an eject button 17 is moved in a direction indicated by an arrow X1.
When the IC card 18 is inserted further in the X1 direction from the partially-inserted state illustrated in FIG. 2(A), connector terminals formed in the IC card 18 are connected to the connector of the card connector. In addition, when the IC card 18 is installed in a designated position of the card connector, as illustrated in FIG. 2(B), the eject button 17 projects in a direction indicated by an arrow X2.
When the IC card 18 is to be removed (ejected) from the personal computer 10, the projecting eject button 17 is pressed in the direction indicated by the arrow X1 so that the eject mechanism is operated and the IC card 18 is discharged from the card slot 16 in the direction indicated by the arrow X2. See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 7-281788.
As discussed above, when the IC card 18 is provided in the personal computer 10, as illustrated in FIG. 2(B), the eject button 17 projects a long distance from a surface of the main body part 11. Accordingly, as an external force is applied to the eject button 17 in this projecting state, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the eject button 17 may be broken so that the IC card 18 may not be ejected (taken out).
Furthermore, when the eject button 17 is broken, it is necessary to disassemble the personal computer 10 and take out the board where the card connector is provided so as to exchange the card connector having the eject button 17. Because of this, repair of the eject button 17 may be extremely troublesome.
As a technique for preventing breakage of the eject button, a structure where the eject button is divided into a button part and a lever part and the button part is configured to be rotated against the lever part has been suggested. See, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3297614.
However, in the technique suggested in Japanese Patent No. 3297614, even in normal use other than when an external force is applied, the button part may be rotated relative to the lever part so that operability may be degraded.